Which one is better, Iressa or cabozantinib?

Iressa (gefitinib tablets) is mainly used to treat locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has previously received chemotherapy. It is based on the results of a large placebo-controlled clinical trial showing a survival advantage in specific subgroups. Cabozantinib is mainly used to treat metastatic medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), and has also shown certain efficacy in tumors such as prostate cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and liver cancer.

Iressa is a selective epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor that prevents the growth and spread of tumor cells by inhibiting the activity of EGFR. Cabozantinib is a multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor that can inhibit a variety of tyrosine kinases related to tumor growth and metastasis, including RET, MET, VEGFR, etc.

Iressa has been shown in clinical trials that for NSCLC patients who have previously received chemotherapy, Iressa can prolong the patient's survival and improve the quality of life. Cabozantinib has shown significant efficacy in a variety of tumor types, especially thyroid cancer, kidney cancer, and liver cancer. For example, in clinical trials of thyroid cancer, progression-free survival in the cabozantinib group was significantly longer than that in the control group, and overall survival was also prolonged. In addition, cabozantinib has also shown good efficacy in the treatment of renal cancer and liver cancer.

Both drugs may cause some adverse reactions. Common adverse reactions of Iressa include diarrhea and skin reactions, while adverse reactions that may be caused by cabozantinib include diarrhea, stomatitis, palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome, etc. These adverse reactions can usually be alleviated by appropriate dose adjustment or symptomatic treatment.